A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame and Purdue University has been working to develop a new technology that can rapidly test milk and other dairy products for harmful pathogens.

Though the research will be applicable to many microorganisms, the team's first goal is to reduce the incidence of brucellosis, a condition caused by infection from Brucella bacteria, various strains of which are found in sheep, goats, cattle and swine. Brucellosis is the most common animal-to-human infection worldwide, with more than 500,000 new cases reported each year. It rarely causes death, but it can result in prolonged health problems.